Continuous Glucose Monitoring

[LMcC88]

New blood glucose measuring technology is rapidly advancing with more non-invasive methods looking likely to enter the market this year. As a Type 1 Diabetic it's a real pain (literally sometimes) to have to hurt my finger several times a day to get a glucose reading. One of the new methods of non-invasive glucose monitoring is using a laser to measure the amount of glucose in the blood. http://www.gluco-wise.com/ If Fitbit could somehow integrate similar technology into the wrist watches it could open up a significant revenue stream and also would help improve diabetic glucose monitoring. The benefits of this would be enormous for health departments, particularly in the UK where Diabetes is becoming more prevalent and people are suffering health issues due to poor diabetes management. Also add insulin reminders.

Moderator Edit: Added Labels and Word choice

[lariches]

Would love to manually add blood sugar levels so I can track using Fitbit. I use another app for this and it is a pain to enter a food log on both. I want to use Fitbit exclusively for my health app.  And yes please on the CBG monitoring. If that was added I would pay a lot for that if it was on the Fitbit but not as enticed to buy a CBG currently available. 

[Sneakattack]

I just started using the Dextron CGM device. It actually syncs with my Samsung phone and. The S Health app. 

It allows the user to track activity, carbs, heart rate, and glucose. I guess I will be forced to ditch the fitbit for a Samsung watch. Too bad. I was hoping fitbit would embrace the idea of glucose monitoring but someone else sees potential and is moving forward. 

[Gagandeep]

Hi Fitbit & Team can you please introduce a module for Sugar Levels for Diabetic patients like myself it is something need ! Currently using my Samsung phone.

[LMcC88]

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions.

Some people have taken a slightly different direction to my meaning but all valid points.

For what it's worth FITBIT maybe take a read of this https://www.cnbc.com/2017/05/18/apple-ceo-tim-cook-test-drove-glucose-monitor.html 

If Apple beat you to this you will lose a massive chunk of market share as I imagine nearly all diabetics will flock to such a device.

Come on Fitbit, get ahead of the curve.

[Donnavosbrown]

The ability to view "follow app" data from continuous glucose monitors (Dexcom) is already available on similar watches/trackers. Please, please, please can we incorporate this technology into our fitbits?

[LizFitbit]

Hi @LMcC88 An update to this topic, Fitbit announced a collaboration with DexCom to develop and market products to help better manage their diabetes and get a more complete picture of their overall health.

The first planned initiative will be an experience available on Fitbit Ionic that will show users data from the Dexcom G5 Mobile continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) System (with either Android or iOS devices) right on the wrist, without having to open an app. This will be developed using the Fitbit SDK and available in 2018. 

The full announcement can be found here. 

[Jen_5]

Would be a very helpful tile or feature in Fitbit for millions of people. Blood meters are AWFUL/hard to use and inaccurate, which is not what someone watching their glucose for health or Diabetes reasons wants to deal with. I know MANY people who would buy a fitbit with this feature. 

[Frlmusic]

This I should great news, and it's what I (and lots and lots of people,
obviously) have been asking for, to say nothing of a smart business move.

I hate to be "that guy," but I'll still have to consider whether I want/can
pay $300 for the Ionic, even with the CGM connection. I realize this hits
the audience in the Venn diagram where Apple Watch users and Fitbit
enthusiasts overlap, but I don't jog, and I don't want my music collection
or my email on my wrist. (On the other hand, I'm pretty much at the cusp of
being an "old fart," so I'm hard to please!)

I'm pleased and grateful that both companies are taking this step - it's
incredibly helpful and a major step in the right direction. Thank you!

Frank Leavitt
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Sent from Gmail Mobile

[gnrpowder]

With my family history, I've been looking for and discussing Blood Sugar Monitors that don't require a "Sharps" container and BBP training.

This would be a game changer, IMO!

[MamaBear1973]

My husband and I recently switched to the Charge 2 from the Samsung S2.  We love our new watches but the only thing we feel is missing is a place to track my husband's daily glucose levels.  We can track food, water, and exercise and for diabetics, it would be nice to have a place to track daily glucose.  Unless it's there and we just can't find where to track those levels.

Thanks for taking the time to read this!

[dcm.in.wa]

Just got type 2 diagnosis today (although have suspected of for a while now).  Came to the fast realization that I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT TRACKING SUGAR LEVELS.  Having an app and device would help.  

[QPUDLF]

I have a new Medtronic 670g. Here is the FDA announcement on September 28th, 2016: "The Medtronic MiniMed 670G System is the first FDA approved hybrid closed loop system that monitors glucose and automatically adjusts the delivery of long acting or basal insulin based on the user’s glucose reading". This step changes the future for people that struggle to keep their diabetes in check. I've been diabetic for 38 years next March and it's the first time I can depend on something, other than myself, to be an immediate solution for slowly rising blood sugar levels that are hard to detect when only testing two or three times a day. The key to diabetic management is a routine that's repetitive and relentless. As human nature predicts, it's easy to neglect the mundane boredom that comes from that many years of looking after a sick person that needs continual monitoring and care... in this case, myself. The integration and ability of devices, like the Fitbit, to communicate with other platforms, will provide important health information invaluable to it's many users (such as its ability to connect with other health & fitness apps). A simple display of blood sugar levels and perhaps the available trends screen along with notifications and alarms available to the Medtronic user, could mean the difference between checking, with no more effort than raising my arm, or passing by the moment because I didn't hear the device, feel it vibrating or bother to remove it from my side to look at it. As technology advances, a company such as yourselves, would do well to work with the folks at Medtronic and companies like these, whose customer use and approval along with the FDA's nod toward it's future, opens not only revenue streams important to a vibrant growing company, but more importantly, it helps the millions of people like me that suffer from the disease. Your company was obviously founded on the idea of delivering important health information to it's users in a way that until now, was not able to be done with such simplicity (and style)... it has helped make tracking my daily health score, easier. Integration with other, medically approved devices, dedicated to this same goal, would be a much welcomed and very marketable solution, for anyone needing it... That's a lot of humans!

[SunsetRunner]

They are working to develop a high end monitor that includes BG monitoring,
but why they can’t just add a “custom” window for those of us who want to
track whatever—I don’t know. There have been plenty of requests! If you
google Fitbit and blood glucose monitoring, you can News about the new
device.

Good luck!

K

[Prka]

Great idea ! I have been waiting for this technology. Although I have been a fan of Fitbit , I may have to switch loyalty to others if they come out with technology first. 

I feel research, development and implementation is somewhat slow in Fitbit. I just hope Fitbit would be the first one to introduce it.

Thanks

[intothestartbox]

Just being able to connect the Dexcom and Fitbit apps to be able to overlay activity, carbs, and cgm data in graph format by day and week would be very helpful in analyzing the data from both sources. To be able to see the relationship between these three things would enable us T1Ds to make better self-care decisions.

Thanks.

[Sullir]

I have been a Fitbit user from the very start. It has been a game changer for me. I still use my Fitbit One (I have never been a watch person and love that I can decretely keep it under my clothing). Though continuous glucose monitoring would be nice, I suspect it would be expensive, maybe too much for me. However, I would be very happy to have a tile where I could enter my BS readings. It is the only thing I have felt is missing for years. Thank you for your consideration.

[SunsetRunner]

Hear, Hear! Exactly my views, as well.

Kate

[cwp101]

While I understand the desire for continuous glucose monitoring I suspect the development costs and liability costs would set them back a ways.  That said, a simple place to enter blood glucose readings along with foods consumed would REALLY help.  

This is just another field in a database that is user entered.  I suspect a plain old integer field would work and would help those of us recording our blood glucose readings with our diets immensely.

Why Fitbit seems to ignore this is beyond me.

Carmine Prestia

[RandyEC]

I must agree! I doubt it would be that difficult to add a field to manually track blood glucose levels. I don't understand the reluctance to let users track their blood glucose levels themselves within the app.

[elizathelizard]

I currently use the fitbit alta hr and am type 1 diabetic. I use the dexcom system and app to see my current blood glucose. I would love to be able to see this value and the trending arrow associated with how my blood sugar is changing on my fitbit alta screen!

[Kibilyon]

Hi Team, 

While realtime Blood Sugar tracking is Ideal and I understand it is being worked on for the new Tracking Bands,    Having the optional feature on the Dashboard of the Website or in the Phone App would be helpful.  I recall it used to be there years ago with my first Fitbit.  However the feature , tracking has been removed.  

Forcing me to move that data to my Samsung Galaxy  Health app.   Which honestly is a pain keeping data in several different apps. 

Even if it was part of the premium service, For those of us who are diabetic or pre-diabetic it is helpful to track food, glucose and activity.  Having it all in one App or website is great benefit.

Please add even as an activity  type ...  Blood Glucose tracking ;      Time of day     Blood Glucose Reading  mg/dl,   

Optional flags :Fasting , Pre-meal , post meal , Before Sleep ,  post Sleep , General : or just Notes section.  

Thank you for your consideration.

[GaryPerkins]

 You guys TOTALLY missed the mark, I don't want to measure blood sugar with my fit bit.  I just want to track the number, much like the weight, I get to type in the number and see it on a pretty graph on the dashboard.  Get over yourselves not wanting to be a medical device, a manually input number does not make you a medical device any more than entering the weight manually.  you allow me to count glasses of water but not track anything else?  Just freaking make the app have a manually entered tracker for a NUMBER! pretty please.  I bet other fitness trackers allow this.  (myfitnesspal)

[Frlmusic]

I wouldn’t say we’ve missed the mark, but that we have different
methodologies for achielevungbthe same goal We all, I think (correct me if
I’m wrong) want to track our numbers throughout the day (easily done with
paper and pencil, or a spreadsheet, which many of us already do), and have
it neatly side-by-side with the other data your Fitbit gives you, ON your
Fitbit, which is the thing that’s missing.
There’s already a way to manually input a BC number in the Fitbit app - I
used to use the “comments” or “notes” section ... enter the date and time,
then the BC, and there you are. But that became tedious and it was not easy
to see numbers side by side. Manually entering that data, even into a
specific field, would still be tedious, at least, but having a dedicated
field (even if user-defined) would be a step. But why not go to the next
logical level?

The goal is to have the data - the BC number that shows up on the screen of
my meter - automatically sent to my Fitbit app, just like my steps are.
That’s not unreasonable, and it’s not “missing the mark” - it’s *exactly*
what the mark IS, even if it’s a different process than what you seem to
want.

And has been said before, if transferring those RESULTS (not the
proprietary calculations) makes the Fitbit a medical device, then we’d
better register our Excel spreadsheets and our paper pads and pencils as
medical devices, as well!


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[SunsetRunner]

YES, YES, YES! What Greg said.

[FitCassandra]

Is it possible to use a fitbit tracker to monitor blood pressure levels?

If so how do you do that?